Rectangular basket



Aug. 15, 1933. L. M. HILE RECTANGULAR BASKET Filed July 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 15, 1933. M u 1,922,807

RECTANGULAR BASKET Filed July 21, 195o i 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATESv vPATENT OFFICE RECTANGULAR BASKET Leslie M. Hile, Benton Harbor, Mich.

Application July 21, 1930. Serial No. 469,541

6 Claims. (Cl. 217-122) This invention relates to baskets of the kind that have'rectangular tops and bottoms and downwardly tapered sides.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a basket of the foregoing general character, having the side walls thereof formed of staves, with flat strips forming outside and inside hoops for said walls, each hoop having a lap joint therein on one and the same at side of the basket, vso that each joint is entirely straight and free from curvature strain, and with provisions whereby the rectangular basket thus provided may have either a permanently stitched-in bottom, or may have an open bottom, whereby the `basket may be constructed l for loading through the top thereof, or may be adapted for loading through the bottom thereof.

It is also an object torprovide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of a rectangular basket of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawingsin which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a basketembodying the principles of the invention, showing the basket upside down, and showing the same with an open bottom;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail fragmentary section of a portion of the bottom construction of the basket, showing one way of securing the bottom wall or closure in place, being a vertical section on line 2-2 in Fig. 3;

f Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another Way of fastening the bottom Wall or closure in place;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the portions shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a-view similar to Fig. 2, showing 45 another way of fastening the bottom wall or closure in place, being a vertical section on line 6-6 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7 in Fig. 6; v Fig. 8 shows the form of bottom wall or closure employed in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, it being observedthat Fig. 6 is: an enlarged section on line 6 6 in Fig.,8, while Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 7-7 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another way of fastening the 'bottom wall or v closure in place;

Fig. l() is a perspective of the form of bottom wall or closure shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a relatively larger closure ofV this same form and construction may also be employed as the top cover of the basket;

Fig. l1 shows another bottom construction for the basket.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the invention comprises a basket having a rectangular top and bottom and having downwardly tapered side walls formed of staves 1, arranged in overlapping relation. As shown in Fig. 1, the basket is upside down and has` an open bottom, said bottom construction comprising the outside and inside hoops 2 and 3 between which the end portions of the staves 1 are securely clamped and held in place by staples 4, inserted through both hoops and the the staves. These hoops are formed from fiat strips of wood, or other suitable material, and are preferably bent to provide rounded corners 5 for the bottom construction of the basket.

kThe larger rectangular top of the basket is provided with an outside hoop 6 and with an inside hoop 7, and between these ltwo hoops thertop end portions of the staves are securely clamped in place andheld by staples 8 that are inserted through both hoops and the staves. Also, an '85 outside middle hoop 9 is provided, as shown. The top of the basket is provided with ordinary handles 10, and wire fasteners 11 are provided at the bottom of the basket..

In use, the basket thus shown and described may have its top cover secured in place `in any suitable manner, and may then turn upside `down and be loaded through the open bottom thereof. After the basket is filled, the bottom cover can then be 'placed in position, as shown .95 in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and the wire fasteners 11 can then be bent into shape,Y as shown, to hold this bottom closure in place.

vSaid bottom closure, it will be seen, comprises a rectangular hoop 12 and a bottom wall 13 of 100 any suitable character, fastened to the upper edge of said hoop. With this construction, `the basket will have three bottom hoops, two inside and one outside.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5,V the bottom construction comprises only an outside hoop 14 and ,an inside hoop 15, the latter of less width than the outer hoop; and the bottom wall or closure 16 is thick enough to receive the staples 17, which 110 are inserted through the outside hoop andthe staves and into said bottom wall, whereby a permanent or stitched-in bottom closure is provided. This can be done in dierent ways, and one way would be to first fasten the wall 16 to the hoop 15, and to then fabricate the side walls and outer hoop around this preformed bottom closure, and to at such time insert the staples 17 to hold the bottom closure in place. Or the side walls and bottom hoops can be fabricated rst, by inserting staples 18 through the'two hoops, then inserting the bottom wall 16 in place, and then inserting the staples 17, as shown. With this construction, the basket can be placed right side up and loaded through the open top thereof.

As shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, vtherectangular bottom closure comprises a plurality of strips of Wood or other material 19, held together by crossed battens 20 on the bottom thereof. These battens and strips are secured together by staples, or by any suitable means. The battens 20 terminate short of the edges of thebottom, thereby leaving a margin adapted to rest on the inside hoop 3 at the bottom oi the basket. Staples or nails may then be inserted through the sidewalls oi the basket and into portions of the bottom, if desired, or the bottom may be left loose. -With this construction, the bottom can be placed in position, and the basket can be turned right side up and loaded through 'the open top thereof.

As shown in Fig. 9, the bottom construction of the basketV comprises a relatively thick inside hoop 21v and a relatively thin outside hoop 22, and the bottom wall or closure'23 may be simply a relatively thick board or other'member, adapted to rest upon the thick hoop 2l when the basket is right lside up. v

As shown in Fig. 1l, the bottom construction comprises a pre-formed bottom unit consisting of the said hoop 12 and the bottom wall 13, Vas shown. The outside hoop 24 and the staves 25 may then be fabricated around this pre-formed bottom unit in any suitable or de sired manner, whereby a permanent or stitchedin bottom is provided. Therefore, of course, the staples 26, that fasten the wall 13 to the lhoop 12, are necessarily inserted before the staples 27 areinserted, these staples 27 being inserted through both hoops Vand the' staves to hold the pre-formed bottom unit in place.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a downwardly tapered basket is provided, having a rectangular top and a rectangular bottom, the top being preferably larger thanr the bottom, whereby the basket tapers downwardly, and the construction involving overlapping staves for the side walls, and inside and outside fiat hoops, whereby baskets of this kind may be nested t'ogetherv for shipment or storage. With the rectangular formation, baskets of this kind, when filled, can be placed close together and will occupy less space than round baskets, as there will be practically no space between these square or rectangularY basketswhen viewed from above. Thus, it will be seen that bythe invention, for the rst time, practically all Y.straight lines are employed in a downwardly1- tapered basket having a raised square bottom. There are practically no'curved-flines anywhere, either up and down, or horizontally and circumierentially; for

the small curvesv at 5 Aand 6 of the basket are practically negligible, so far as straight line construction is concerned; Thus, with straight line work everywhere, practically, in the constructhorough ventliation.

but having downwardly tapered sides.

about more efficiency, for it insures less loss of storage space in the shipment or storage of filled or loaded baskets of this kind. For example, round baskets, when arranged side by side, present a `considerable loss of space between them, when viewedpfrom above, as they do not t together closely. To the contrary, with downwardly tapered baskets of the kind herein shown and described, which is illustrative of the invention, there is practically no space between a group of baskets of this kind. placed side by side, whenviewed from above, for their tops are square and they nt closely together. ln `this way, baskets approximate the eciency of square boxes, in the shipment and storage of'commodities, so iai' yas utilizing storage space is concerned, but at the saine time these containers of the kind shown and described have vall, the advantages of downwardly Vtapered baskets, which ordinary square or rectangular shipping boxes do not have. For example, these square and downwardly'tapered baskets can be nested together', when empty, in order to efciently utilize space provided for shipment or storage. Again, in use, the downwardly tapered dat side walls tend to protect the contents of the baskets, against jamming or bruising, and the raised square bottoms tend to protect the bottom portion of the contents of each basket. These square and downwardly tapered baskets, when fully loaded, can be placed on top of each other. It is obvious, -for example, the top cover of the basket can be similar to the bottom cover thereof, and that the baskets, when loaded, can be stacked one on top oi another, in the manner of ordinary baskets, but with space between them, because of the raised bottom ol" each basket. Thus, as stated, certain desirable advantages of the square box type of shipping container are combined with the usual advantages and desirable features of downwardly tapered shipping baskets. Y

Notwithstanding that baskets of this kind are rectangular' and flat-sided, they nevertheless are adapted to nest tightly together, with space between their bottoms,y when stacked in nested formation. Also, when these baskets are stack- 4ed one upon another, after being lled, so that the bottom of one basket is resting upon the cover of anotherbasket, it will be seen that spaces are provided between the top of one basket and the bottom of the next basket'above, throughout the stack. Thus, when the baskets are lled and shipped, they stand close together without space between them, when viewed from the above, but'with space between their sides below the tops, and with space between their bottoms and tops when they are stacked vertically one upon another. Thus, there -is a saving in the utilization of space, in shipping or storage, and at the same time thereV is enough space aroundthe sides of each basket, and at the top and bottom thereof, to prevent `injury to the contents of the baskets, and to provide This is broadly new in containers of square or rectangular formation,

It will also be seen that the corners of the basket have the battens or ller staves 19, whereby the basket has closed corners. The outside so l staves 1 may be spaced a distance apart, as shown, at the flat outer sides of the basket, with the inner staves covering the spaces between the outer staves, but nevertheless the corners of the basket will be closed to protect the contents of the basket.

Therefore, not only does the invention provide a square or rectangular and downwardly tapered basket having closed or battened corners, closed by the battens 19, as explained, but in addition it is also true that the lap joints 20, of the rectangular hoops, as shown in Fig. 1, are both at one and the same iiat side of the basket, whereby each lap joint is entirely straight, and is entirely free from curvature strain. A lap joint of this kind, being perfectly straight, is much less likely to spring apart, or to become weakened by separation, as the result of rough handling of the basket, or as Vthe result of shrinkage and drying out of the materials. It will be understood that the outside and inside top hoops of the basket, as well as the middle hoop 9, are of the same character, having their straight lap joints on one and the same flat side of the basket. Thus with all straight lap joints for the hoops a square and downwardly tapered basket is provided of strong and substantial character, being characterized by a structure that is not weakened anywhere by curvature strain, on any of the four sides thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A basket having a rectangular top and a rectangular bottom, `comprising downwardly tapered flat side walls, whereby the basket is free from curvature strain. on all four flat sides thereof, whereby the basket tapers downwardly, a rectangular fiat bottom wall closure for the bottom of the basket, comprising flat bottom material having four stragiht outer edges in the plane thereof, with wire means engaging and holding said flat bottom material in place, and inside and outside flat hoops extending around the bottom and top of the basket, with a lap joint in each hoop on one and the same ilat side of the basket, so that each overlap is entirely straight, providing rounded top and bottom corners for the body of the basket, but whereby space between them is practically eliminated when several baskets of this kind are placed side by side and viewed from above, said side walls square bottom, forming a rectangular space below the bottom of the basket, whereby the baskets have space between them when lled and placed one on top of another. i v

2. A basket having a rectangular top and bottom, but whereby space between them is practically eliminated when several baskets of this kind are placed side by side and viewed from aboveycomprising downwardly tapered flat side walls, whereby the basket tapers downwardly and is free from curvature strain on all four flat sides thereof, so that baskets of this kind may be nested together for shipment or storage, comprising a pre-formed bottom unit forming the bottom wall ofthe basket, said unit cornprising a rectangular inside hoop having a bottom vwall secured to the upper edge thereof, with a straight lap joint in said hoop on one flat side of the basket, so that said joint is entirely straight, whereby practically all straight lines are employed in a downwardly tapered basket having a raised square bottom.Y

3. A structure as specified in claim 2, said rectangular bottom unit being formed with straight side edges removably fastened in place.

4. A structure as specied in claim 2, said rectangular bottom unit hoop directly engaging the side walls `of the basket, and an outside rectangular bottom hoop permanently securedV by staples to the side walls and said inside hoop.

5. A structure as specified in claim 2, said container having battens or filler staves forming closed corners for the basket, each extending from one upper corner to the corresponding lower corner of the basket.

6. A structure as specied in claim 2, said container having battens or ller staves forming closed corners for the basket, each extending from one upper corner to the corresponding lower corner of lthe basket, and the ilat outer sides of the basket having edges therein spaced apart at intervals, extending from top to bottom thereof.

LESLIE M. HILE. 

